Victory For Safety, Congress Says NO To Unsafe Foreign Trucks

Statement
of Jackie Gillan, Vice President
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

on Today's Overwhelming House Vote in Favor of Rep. Olver's Amendment
Preventing Unsafe Foreign Trucks from Driving on U.S. Highways

Washington, D.C. -- Today's overwhelming bi-partisan vote
(339 to 70) in support of Rep. John Olver's (D-MA) amendment to
H.R.5025, the fiscal year 2005 appropriations bill for the Departments
of Transportation and Treasury is a significant victory for highway
safety. The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed exempting
some foreign trucks and buses from meeting U.S. safety standards
in violation of the law. The vote by the House was a resounding
rebuke of any government action to ignore or circumvent current
safety laws.

To
ensure traffic safety, Congress in the 1966 National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act required that all vehicles, including
cars, trucks and buses, sold or used in the U.S. must meet U.S.
safety standards applicable when the vehicle was built. Trucks
and buses built in other countries that are imported or driven
into the U.S. are subject to the same law and requirements.

The
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposes giving some foreign
trucks and buses a two-year grace period from meeting this federal
law, while at the same time requiring all U.S. built trucks and
buses to comply.

Advocates
congratulates Rep. Olver (D-MA) for his leadership on the House
floor and every Member of Congress who voted to ensure that all
trucks and buses, domestic or foreign, meet the same safety requirements.
We cannot take a two-year "holiday" from safety.

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Advocates
for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), an alliance of consumer,
health and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working
together to make America's roads safer, is actively involved at
the federal and state levels to reduce the terrible tragedy of
crashes to families across the nation.